Social media has become a huge part of our lives. We use it to connect with people, learn about what is happening in the world, and stay up-to-date on current events. It can also be an important tool for learning.
Social media provides educators with opportunities to share their expertise through blogs, videos, and other online content that will help students succeed in the classroom or in life after school.
This blog post will outline how you can tap into social media’s potential by establishing strong connections with your students and engaging them outside the classroom walls!
Welcoming The Online Education
Students are increasingly choosing to receive their education entirely online. While it has been there for a long time, it is now required. Reputed and major institutions like Stanford and Cambridge are sending off students abroad and preparing to complete all of their courses via the web in the fall.
With schools and colleges turning to the internet, it is up to online platforms to create a feasible and sustainable setting for students. Social media is one of the most popular and widespread applications in existence.
This tool can be used to teach students about this unfortunate event. Some of you might even become experts in digital marketing, social media marketing, and other concepts.
In the past, teachers would tell students not to use social media. Now they think it is good for kids to stay on social media because they can learn about things.
There are two sides to a coin. The same is true for social media and education. Let’s look at what social media can do and then talk about its effects on education.
YouTube – YouTube is one of the most popular video-streaming services on the internet, and it’s only known that it’s one of the top video-watching sites. YouTube enables customers to upload as many videos as they want. Instructors now use this platform to post pre-recorded lesson videos that aid students in learning their daily lessons.
YouTube is a great educational tool for students in addition to providing them with information about education. YouTube provides answers to any question that students may have, and it includes a discussion board where users can ask each other questions. Furthermore, because YouTube is also a platform where kids may learn whatever they want, even if they have a lesson plan, they can start viewing any video that interests them.
Teachers are also featured on YouTube in a separate area called “education.” The tool teaches teachers how to best utilize it for tutoring their pupils in this section.
- TedEd – TedEd is a TED spin-off that offers animated, fast-paced talks on subjects such as science, technology, social studies, literature, and more. It also creates a meeting place for students and speakers to connect, thereby creating a better learning environment.
- Facebook – All students are interested in Facebook, which is one of the most popular social media sites. They can interact with their friends and relatives on it. Creating subjects-specific pages and encouraging pupils to contribute relevant information via Facebook for education may help teachers create more engaging lessons. It’s also a great place to discover other kids.
- Twitter – It’s no secret that Twitter is used to express oneself on a wide range of subjects. However, one might overlook that it may be utilized as an efficient teaching technique. Teachers can now tweet exam dates or call out students to turn in their homework, and they may also use it to share inspirational and motivational sayings.
- Instagram – Instagram is another important social media platform. Teachers may use Instagram to share brief lessons as photos, organize campaigns and competitions connected with their area of study, and encourage pupils to participate. They can also share reports about their next lesson plan. This will assist students in preparing for the next session of learning.
- Education Websites – Many educational sites are now finding ways to get into students’ and teachers’ books by providing the most basic and easiest form of education and learning on a variety of issues. While most of these websites are free, some charge money to access more advanced and high-quality teaching material.
The top websites that Indian students frequently visit include:
- Edx
- Udemy
- Coursera
- Learn Next
- Academy earth
- Khan academy
On the one hand, there is no doubt that social media has a significant role in education. As stated previously, let us attempt to comprehend the various effects of social media and its tools on education.
Positive Effects Of Social Media On Education :
Helps in the Research Process
The internet is a treasure trove of information. While it has ready-made content, it also aids in a great deal of study. Studying science has become more difficult as students are unable to do research and experiments because schools are closed.
Furthermore, numerous additional topics need study work in order to be addressed. During these times, social media or the internet assists students in connecting with researchers and experts from a variety of disciplines. Students may use this information and data to conduct research.
To obtain current viewpoints on a variety of themes, you may utilize social media as a helpful tool. Connecting with specialists from all across the world through social media provides another benefit.
Students may now communicate with a Harward professor in the United States or a biotech expert in Germany. Connections on social media are so useful and simple to make.
Better LMS
It has benefited people who have established learning management systems. Teachers and pupils may now collaborate and operate together in this virtual system, which allows them to keep relevant notes and files as well as the benefit of real-time chat.
Many corporations have responded to the need for simplified, streamlined learning systems by creating their own LMS solutions. In this post, we’ll look at how to develop a content portal with Google Sites (formerly known as Blogger) and see how it compares to other CMS platforms.
Increased Collaboration
The greatest feature of social networking is the simplicity with which it may be used. Facebook is open to everyone, and you may discover people from all over the world there. You’ll also come across individuals from areas you’ve never heard of before.
A versatile platform like this allows you to work with the finest individuals in various industries and sectors. It expands your viewpoint and network, which is useful whether you’re looking for employment.
Better Participation
Students will be more interested in learning if they use social media to learn. They won’t want to sit still and take detailed notes, nor will they desire colored pens to highlight them.
Students are buying smart devices that allow them to download online notes with everything going digital. Engaging platforms like online courses and academies entice students to get more involved; some are seeing it as a way to develop while others view it as a new fashion and trend.
It does them good whichever way you look at it. And, as a result, these technologies and platforms push students to become more engaged in online learning.
Rich content and resourceful websites
Most of the time, teachers cannot cover everything in class, and they have to hurry and move on to the next topic. However, with social media tools, they can post videos or articles related to the current day’s lesson so that students may refer back to it later.
This also enables them (teachers) to add to the lesson and allow students to ask questions. Social media outlets provide a number of engaging tools for learning, allowing teachers more time with their pupils while providing them access to materials that they cannot get anywhere else.
Negative Effects Of Social Media On Education :
Privacy Issues on Online Platforms
Social networking has allowed people from all over the world to connect. You can be a part of various groups or discussion boards, and you’ll meet people who have the same interests as you do.
However, it is important to note that these platforms are not safe for students because anything they post on social media will become available online forever. There’s also been an increase in cyberbullying with the use of social media, and students can be easily targeted.
Schools are using network filters to try and stop this from happening, but it’s difficult because social media is so pervasive. Employers are also increasingly looking at potential employees’ social media profiles before hiring them, so students need to be careful about what they post online.
Too Much Access to Technology
It’s great that students have access to online resources and tools, but they shouldn’t spend too much time on social media websites. With unlimited internet usage, many students (and adults) are losing sleep because of the amount of time spent on Facebook or Twitter. This is affecting their ability to learn effectively as well as their health.
Social media has its benefits, but if it takes up too much of your time or causes problems at home or school, then it’s best to limit the amount of time you spend on these sites. At the end of the day, social networking is just another tool like anything else; how you use that tool will determine whether it helps in your life or not.
Ineffective Use of Tools
Technology is advancing rapidly, and it’s changing the way we learn. However, not everyone there knows how to use these tools effectively; they may simply be using them because other people are doing it.
Some students (and adults) will spend hours on social media sites like Facebook or Twitter but won’t even know what platform their school is using. They’re not taking advantage of the technology that’s available to them and are wasting their time.
It’s important to learn about all the different tools out there and how you can use them effectively in order to improve your learning experience. Don’t just rely on what others are doing; find what works best for you and stick with it.
Increased Distraction / Misuse of the Internet
Social media is only one of the many tools out there that can help students learn more effectively. However, just like any other tool, it has its pros and cons to consider.
While social networking sites are fun and interesting for most people, they also have a dark side, including cyberbullying or privacy issues on online platforms. Many students (and adults) are too distracted by their online profiles and spend more time on these sites than they do doing homework.
It’s important to manage your social media usage effectively; otherwise, you’ll end up wasting your time instead of learning new things. Don’t let technology rule your life; find what works for you and stick with that.
The internet has a lot of benefits, but it also has its downsides which you need to know about when using these sites. If your internet usage is causing problems at home or school, then maybe try limiting the time you spend on social media and see what happens. It’s all about balance; find that balance for yourself and stick with it.
Adverse Effects of Automation
Using automated tools like auto-correct or auto-completion makes students lazy, and these tools will not help them in learning the correct spelling or grammar. In fact, they will only make the student rely on these tools and not learn how to spell or write properly.
Conclusion:
If you use this correctly, it can be good for students. Most of them take advantage of this and borrow information easily.
Over time, this will affect how you think and be creative, which can make you not be able to decide things for yourself.
Social media is one of the most powerful tools for voicing opinions and creating something big. But it is up to each person what they want to do with it. Some people use social media as a way to become influencers, while others don’t do anything at all with it.
What are some of the most creative ways to use social media for academic research that you’ve come across?
